Many good films have been made about sports and athletes, many of them based on actual events. Movies of this theme make the viewer believe in himself and his dreams, challenge everything familiar and ruinously comfortable, cheer up and gain momentum. And someone, while watching the pictures of this top, maybe on the contrary – will think about stopping, calming down, and looking at your life from a different angle. There are films about all kinds of sports on this list: basketball, ski jumping, boxing, figure skating, horse racing, cricket, and football, all of which, in their way, motivate you to do something worthwhile. Even within the four walls of self-isolation, you can get off the couch, do yoga, take apart the balcony, or rearrange – sports are not forbidden by quarantine.
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Eddie “The Eagle.”
- Year of Premiere: 2015
- Production: UK, Germany, USA
- Genre: drama, comedy, biography
Comedy drama about Britain’s first representative in ski jumping at the Olympics. Eddie Edwards finished last in the competition at the Calgary Winter Olympics in 1988 and yet became a star, setting a British national record for his sport.
This very sport Eddie had been searching for years and came to ski jumping not so much because of a natural predisposition or a deep love but because of an unbreakable desire to make it to the Olympics. Ski jumping was a convenient solution because, other than Eddie, Great Britain had no jumpers. Nicknamed “Eagle,” Eddie was more like a woodpecker, relentlessly hammering down one closed door after another: failures in various disciplines, injuries, disbelief of his father, ridicule and bullying of the rest of the Olympic team, the opposition of the national sports committee, not wanting to release a boy without manners and gentlemanly composure in international competitions. No one believed in the funny, bespectacled boy with the ridiculous mustache. Still, his suicidal obsession with sports and the Olympic cult has elevated Eddie to the pinnacle of fame and famous love.
Million Dollar Baby
- Year of Premiere: 2004
- Production: UK, Germany, USA
- Genre: drama
Do not be deceived by the playful title: the picture is a drama that leaves after itself gloomy thoughts and a desperate desire not to believe in what happened on the screen. But the film is based on actual events, and the skillful work of the director, screenwriter, and actors does not leave the viewer a chance for false hope. Maggie Fitzgerald sweeps the floor in a filthy diner, eats scraps in the same establishment, drags a hundred and twenty-five pounds of solid inhumanity on her mother, and tries to help her sister, a single mother. It’s painful to watch from the get-go. A punching bag in the old gym is the only outlet in a woman’s life.
Frankie Dunn is a boxing coach from whom his daughter has been turned away, and his best student has left. Frankie is stubborn, irritable, and doggedly loyal to everything he holds dear: to his daughter, who won’t talk to her father, to the crippled ex-boxer, to his old, shabby, loss-making gym. Maggie forces Frankie to take her as an apprentice through her persistence and zeal, and soon both realize that they have practically found a real family in each other’s persona. After a year of record-breaking knockouts, Maggie convinces her coach to approve a championship fight. The blood sport has become Maggie’s saving light, and she flies stubbornly toward her bright goal like a plucky moth. Everyone knows how stubborn moths end up, right?
Triumph
- Year of Premiere: 2005
- Production: Canada, USA
- Genre: drama, biography
It is a beautiful retro drama about Francis Ouimet, the first amateur to win the U.S. Open Golf Championship.
“Disney is always Disney, and “Triumph” is a kind, touching tale, albeit one based on true events. Francis Ouimet is practically Cinderella in a beret: the kid from a poor family, so noble golf is not “a match” for Francis, and let the film have no evil stepmother, but there is a loving father who does not believe in his son’s infatuation and wishes that Francis would stop soaring in the clouds. There is also an early ending to the “ball,” a qualifying tournament where Francis fails his last shot and, after failing a bet with his father, takes a job at the store. It becomes sad and nostalgic for the viewer to watch the unhappy face of a guy who lets his big dream out of his hands. But let’s not forget that we are in a fairy tale: “fairy godmothers” show up on the store’s doorstep and bring Francis a magical second chance.
The film lovingly demonstrates golf as a sport and genuine art, an embodiment of grace, manners, and elegance.
M.S. Dhoni: The Untold Story
- Year of Premiere: 2016
- Production: India
- Genre: drama, biography
One of the few excellent cricket films.
Mahendra has dedicated his whole life to cricket. He began playing the sport early and has made great strides. However, his youth was difficult, and his family had problems with money, even for living. So he had to start working before to help his family and in addition to that study hard.
Soon his efforts bore fruit, and Mahendra became a very popular sportsman in India. Playing cricket helped me create a successful career. On top of his fame, the guy made it to the national team, going to the best competitions in the world. Soon he met Deepika, and the Bollywood star changed the athlete’s life.
Warrior
- Year of Premiere: 2011
- Production: Canada, USA
- Genre: drama, biography
Martial arts are frequent guests of cinematography, and sports dramas about fierce fighting in the ring have won over critics and viewers for decades. “Warrior” is one of the most successful examples of such cinema, ranking in the top 250 films according to IMDb.
Tommy Conlon returns home after the war. Many things have changed in his fourteen years away, including his father, Paddy, who has given up his addiction to alcohol and is now living a Christian life. Tommy cannot believe this change, and his father’s refusal to have a drink with his prodigal son enrages the boy. Trying to vent his emotions legitimately, Tommy signs up at the gym the next day and brutally beats up a well-known professional fighter. Feeling his strength and capabilities, Tommy competes in a mixed martial arts tournament. He enlists the help of his father, a former trainer, on one condition: nothing personal and no